Together with the Minister of Education, the Chairperson of our Education Development Partners who is also Ambassador of #Belgium to Uganda H.E Rudi Veetraeten and the acting Ambassador of #USA to Uganda H.E Chritopher Krafft, held discussions about the budget gaps in the sector.
This kind of misdiagnosis led us to an economic collapse to the point that by 1986, the country was almost entirely reliant on smuggling for basic goods.
We have been working to correct this over the years, with a our budget strategy shaped by the need to build a viable base, not just for survival, but sustainable prosperity.
Capital expenditure on infrastructure, energy, agriculture, industry/manufacturing and security may, in the short to medium term, be prioritised over recurrent expenditure like salaries.
The revival of this conversation is always an opportunity to look further within, towards aggressively tackling wastage within the national budget and make re-allocations towards the primary sectors.
This could allay the concerns being raised. For example, at the backdrop of #COVID19 pandemic, the Minister of Education has informed me that e-learning, especially for tertiary institutions, is becoming a much needed solution which requires resources.